Suspect in robberies caught

The man, a suspect in three Pasco bank robberies, is arrested in Pennsylvania.

By MOLLY MOORHEAD, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

Shortly after 1 p.m. Nov. 20, a disheveled-looking man walked in to a National City Bank in Ross Township, Pa., and handed the teller a note. He didn't flash a gun but demanded money in specific denominations. With a bag of cash in hand, he turned and walked out.

Now, a bank robbery in Pennsylvania would normally be of little interest in Pasco County, except that it seems the disheveled-looking man may have spent some time here in October. And, if the authorities are correct, he spent it robbing banks.

The man under arrest is Kenneth Wayne Benzo, a 48-year-old veteran criminal suspected of robbing three west Pasco banks within six days.

Authorities think Benzo hit a Wachovia on State Road 52 in Port Richey on Oct. 16, a Crown Bank on Mile Stretch Road in Holiday on Oct. 18 and a SunTrust on U.S. 19 in Holiday on Oct. 22. No one was hurt in the incidents.

In the three Pasco cases, and in the Pennsylvania case, the robber walked in, flashed the teller a note and walked out with cash.

Pennsylvania authorities confirmed two Pasco warrants on Wednesday. Benzo is not charged in the Wachovia robbery because the teller couldn't identify him.

He remained in the Allegheny County Jail on Thursday. It was not clear if bail was set, but Benzo is considered a fugitive out of Florida, said Allegheny County Sheriff William Mullen.

Even before he put more than 1,000 miles between himself and Pasco detectives, Benzo showed proficiency in eluding the law.

Sheriff's detectives looking into a 2005 home burglary in Port Richey matched Benzo's DNA to blood at the house. But they didn't arrest him, even though he was sitting in the Pasco County jail on another charge. It wasn't until he was released last month - after 13 months in lockup - and picked up again the day of the Wachovia robbery that they pinned the burglary charge on him.

He bailed out of jail again, and within five days the other two banks were robbed.

Then Benzo vanished, apparently having fled north.

He fell into the Pennsylvania authorities' net in a roundabout way, too.

A week after the Ross robbery, police in another Pittsburgh suburb were investigating a stolen vehicle case. The car in question was spotted in a motel parking lot. Alone in one of the rooms was Benzo.

As police questioned him Tuesday about the car, they connected him to the description of the Ross bank robber. By early afternoon, Benzo was under arrest, having confessed to robbing National City, said Ross Township Detective Benjamin Dripps.

"He was cooperative," he said.

Dripps didn't know how Benzo got to the Pittsburgh area, his native city, according to Pasco documents. He didn't know how long Benzo had been there, but he had an idea about his activities earlier this month.

"There are other robberies here," Dripps said, "that I think you could say he's being considered a suspect."

Molly Moorhead can be reached at moorhead@sptimes.com or 727 869-6245.

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 22:13:17]